Lucy Heartfilia is Dead?
by DragonsArePrettyCool
Summary: Two years after Lucy Heartfilia died, and Natsu, Gray, and Erza are more than eager to get revenge for their friend's death. They get themselves into some major trouble, and realize that Lucy Heartfilia might not be dead. But could Lucy have changed over the past two years?
1. Prolouge 1: Ice battle

**hey guys**

 **This is my first fairy tail story. I hope you like it!**

 **May or may not be eventual Nalu...*grins evilly***

 **I'll try to update every week, but things happen.**

 **Please read and review!**

* * *

Above the temple, a battle raged. Three figures clothed in black faced off against a single ice-make wizard. As spears of ice plunged into the earth, the leader dodged, recovered, and sent a volley of liquid magma towards his foe.

Gray Fullbuster rolled out of the way just as the bush beside him was incinerated. He was beginning to feel the effects of the battle on his muscles, but he couldn't give up now. Another blob of flying lava dissolved the grass at his feet. Panting, Gray pounded his right fist into his left palm.

"Ice-make, Hammer!" He shouted.

Gray swung his giant hammer down hard, smashing one of his enemies into the ground. As the shards of the hammer scattered over the ground, Gray saw cracks appear in the weathered cobblestone.

"Not good." He muttered under his breath. "I don't know how much longer this place will hold up."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. One down, two to go.

The lava-mage let out a shout, and Gray felt the ground tremble. Within seconds, a powerful geiser of molten rock shot up, sending The Ice-Wizard flying.

Gray hit the dirt hard, letting out a groan as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. His back was badly burnt, and the white jacket he wore was completly singed. He threw it to the side.

Wincing at the raw flesh on his back, Gray pushed himself up. He gritted his teeth, and tried not to show how much pain he was in.

"Is that the best you've got?" He growled. "Pathetic."

Now, the second wizard stepped forward. "You simple-minded fool. You're beaten. Give up, and we'll let you live."

"Never." The Fairy Tail wizard spat. He threw his hand to the side, sending a wave of frozen spikes toward the two mages. "I won't stop until you and your guild are behind bars!"

The second wizard leapt away from the ice. He landed lightly on the crumbling steps, laughing softly to himself. "You're cute. But I'm afraid I can't let you or your friends get in the way."

Gray clenched his fists. "Ice-Make, Cannon!"

The blast knocked both of the dark wizards off of their feet, and sent the lava-mage flying into a tree. With a thunk, his head hit the trunk, and he crumpled to the ground.

"Two down." Gray wheezed. The burns on his back throbbed relentlessly, and his vision was beginning to blur from pain. But he wasn't going to let this man destroy the nearby villages with his crazy, extravagant scheme. "One to go."

The other wizard stood, unaffected from the blast. "I'll give you one last chance. Give up now, and I'll spare your worthless hide."

Gray gave him his best heroic glare. But with his sense of balance impaired, and his muscles turning to jello, Gray didn't feel very heroic. In fact, he was beginning to think that his opponent wasn't affected by anything Gray threw at him. "Will you shut up already?!"

As if on cue, the dirt beneath gray's feet turned to sludge. He felt the mud cover his feet, then his shins, beginning to seep up to engulf his knees. "Wha-What the heck is this?"

Gray lifted his leg up out of the mud, but when he did so, the other leg sank deeper. And when he put his free leg back on the liquified ground, it just sunk in again. He was even more stuck than before. "What kind of magic is this?"

The wizard laughed. "I am Sagoe, of the Black Sparrow guild. Because I use quicksand magic, you won't be getting out of there anytime soon."

Gray struggled harder, angered by the wizard's haughtiness. "What, you can't turn around and fight me on level ground? Let me go, and I'll show you just how powerful a fairy tail wizard can get."

Sagoe began walking away. "I'd love to, but I have somewhere to be. I'll send some of my friends to come get you soon, okay?"

Gray pounded his fist into his palm. "Ice-Make, Cannon!"

Nothing happened.

Gray let out a yell of frustration. "Come back here and fight me, you coward!"

By now, he was up to his waist in goop. He stopped trying to get out, and decided to freeze the mud instead. Placing his hand on the ground, he focused all of his magic energy into the expected it to instantly freeze, but nothing happened. Again.

"Crap!" Gray muttered. "It must be using anti-magic."

Looking around, Gray couldn't see any sticks or fallen branches that he could use to get out. The pool of quicksand was about ten meters across, and Gray was stuck right in the middle of it, unable to use his magic.

"Well, this is just great." He groaned. "Sorry, guys. Looks like I'm out of the game."

He ran his hand through his hair anxiously. Gray was supposed to stop them from getting to the village, where Erza and Lucy were trying to evacuate the villagers. And he had failed.

Because when Sagoe reached the village, there would be almost no one there to stop him from activating Goliath.


	2. Prolouge 2: Goliath

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Fairy Tail. Everyone knows that. Why am I writing the disclaimer anyways?**

 **Okay, here we go! The second chapter of _Lucy Heartfilia is dead_! I know it's a little long. The next chapter is already (Almost) finished (I cried a lot when I wrote it.) so It'll probably be out in a few days.**

 **Please read and review!**

* * *

"Everyone! You have to leave now! Head to the foothills!" Erza Scarlett shouted from the edge of the village, where a long line of people were already filing hurriedly out of their homes. Erza looked towards the ancient temple ruins; the sounds of Gray's duel were echoing through the forest. "Hurry!"

Her blond friend, Lucy Heartfilia, caught the anxious glances that Erza was throwing in that direction. "Gray has this under control, Erza. He's a powerful wizard."

Erza nodded forcefully. Tearing her gaze away from the temple grounds, she continued to help villagers in the right direction. Several older women were complaining about being forced out of their homes, but Erza assured them it was only temporary.

When team Natsu had accepted this job, it was to dispel a dark guild from the nearby area. Now, the four friends found themselves caught in the middle of a dark wizard's thirst for power. The plan they had come up with was risky and last minute. While Gray kept the Black Sparrow guild busy, Natsu tried to destroy the giant Lacrima, before it could activate a demon-like monster. Meanwhile, Erza and Lucy evacuated the nearby town of Heathborough. Just in case.

"Leave now! Head to the sanctuary in the foothills!" Lucy called into the streets. _At this rate_ , she thought, _I'm never gonna get everyone out in time._

Just then, she heard the sound of fighting in the near distance stop. All was quiet. That meant either Gray had lost, and the demon had awoken, or Gray had won, and the town was safe.

"Crap!" she muttered.

Lucy raced back to where Erza stood, frozen to the spot.

"Erza!" She called, coming up to stand at her shoulder.

Lucy slowly turned her head toward the silence. "Should we be worried, or relieved?"

Erza swallowed hard. "Prepare for the worst. If Gray or Natsu failed, Goliath is going to destroy the town. We have to assume that Black Sparrow is coming."

Lucy nodded. Just then, a giant roar was heard from the temple area. Lucy tried to hide her fear. "That...would be Goliath."

Erza recovered from her momentary shock, and re-quipped into her flame-empress armor. "Be ready, Lucy!'

The celestial wizard took a deep breath, pulling out her whip. Although she could feel Loke and the rest trying to come through, she wasn't willing to risk the lives of her spirits here.

A terrifying crash sounded through the woods. Rising out of the temple ruins was a demon the size of a house.

Goliath came trampling through the woods, towards the village. "Watch out!" Lucy screamed as a tree fell down across the village. The giant beast tried to step on Erza, but Erza was too fast. She requipped into her cheetah armor, and before Goliath knew what was happening, Erza Scarlett had sliced off its right arm.

"Lucy! Take him out!" Erza shouted.

Lucy stood there, confused for a moment. It wasn't until she noticed the man standing behind the monster that she knew what her friend meant.

"I've got him!" She replied, extending her whip. The man held something that resembled a scepter in his hand. _He's using it to control the demon._ She realized.

He hadn't noticed her yet; He was focused on the battle between Erza and the Giant. Lucy flew towards him, and with a kick to the head, she sent him reeling.

"Wha-What? When did you get here?" He said, shocked. He rubbed his head.

Lucy smirked. "You didn't really think I hadn't noticed you, did you?"

He sighed. "You'll be an annoyance, at most. I don't really have time for this."

Angered by his patronizing attitude, she lashed out with her whip, snagging his knee. With as much force as she could muster, Lucy pulled on the whip.

The man staggered a tiny bit, but he held his ground. He grabbed the other end of the whip, gave it a fierce pull, and sent lucy flying over his head.

When she hit the ground, Lucy let out a scream. She curled in on herself, clutching at her ribs. Her shirt was soaked with blood. Pain flared up her abdomen, and she shut her eyes tight, trying to shut out the agony. It felt like her ribs had been rearranged.

Another crash exploded at the edge of the village. Lucy opened her eyes just to see the demon throw Erza halfway across the clearing. The redhead fell to the ground next to Lucy.

"E-Erza?! ...Are you...okay?" Lucy panted. She coughed, spewing out blood.

Erza sat up quickly, unaffected by the fall. "I'll show that bastard. He'll be-"

Erza's eyes widened. "Lucy! What happened to you?"

The blonde tried to force a smile. "I'm alright, Erza." She coughed. "It's...nothing."

"Obviously not. You need help, and soon."

Lucy nodded in the direction of the village. "We need to s-stop that monster... first."

When Lucy tried to get up, Erza pushed her back down. "No way. I'll handle it."

Much to her friend's protest, Erza charged the demon. She had changed into her regular armor. The demon turned to face her, it's giant feet putting deep cracks into the earth.

The creature swung its remaining arm towards Erza, but she dodged it and managed to slice off three of its fingers.

It roared, shaking the earth and causing Lucy to cringe. She knew that Erza could take it down without breaking a sweat, but what about the town?

Thankfully, her fears were invalid. At that moment, Erza scrambled up the front of the demon, and sunk her sword deep into its forehead. With one final howl, the beast fell to the ground, dead.

Erza collapsed on the spot, exhausted.

* * *

Gray tried once more to freeze the quicksand. He was up to his shoulders, and sinking fast. Every time he struggled, he was only sucked in deeper.

He groaned aloud. "Man, this sucks."

A flash of pink hair entered his field of vision. _Natsu!_

"Hey! Natsu! Get over here!" Gray shouted, hoping the retard would hear.

For a second, there was no reply.

"Gray?! What happened to you, man?" The dragon-slayer laughed, running up to him.

Gray scowled. "It's NOT funny, Natsu. Get me out of here."

Natsu grinned. "If you were standing in my shoes, you'd be laughing too."

"When I get out of here, Natsu, I swear-"

"Alright, alright, I get it. Come on, the girls need our help."

Natsu looked around. Spotting a long branch, he dragged it over to the quicksand. "Grab this."

Gray nodded, wrapping his hands around the sturdy branch. Natsu pulled on the branch with all his might.

Gray's waist came free of the mud, slowly. He could feel the quicksand trying to reclaim him, but Natsu was strong. With a loud sucking sound, Gray came free. Both men lay on the ground, panting.

"That was embarrassing." Gray panted.

"Gray..." Natsu said, sitting up. "Your clothes?"

Looking down at himself, Gray realized that his clothes were still stuck in quicksand. "Crap! Again?"

Desperate, Gray grabbed the branch. His pants were slowly sinking into the quicksand. "Help me out, Natsu!"

Natsu laughed, imitating Gray. "Help me, Natsu!"

Gray slugged him in the shoulder. "I'm serious."

Natsu chuckled. "Relax. I have a spare change of pants in my backpack."

"What? You just keep a pair of pants with you wherever you go?"

"Yep. I figured you might need them." He grinned.

This earned Natsu another bruise on his shoulder.

As soon as Gray pulled the pants on, Natsu dashed off into the woods.

"Hurry up, slowpoke! The girls need help!"

Gray sighed in exasperation. "Fine, Fine. But it's not like the thing will give Erza any trouble."

* * *

 **Oh, the last part was so much fun to write! The next part...not so much. You guys can probably already guess what's going to happen. Thanks for reading! I would love your feedback!**


	3. Prolouge 3: When fairies die

Disclaimer: I don't own fairy tail.

It's done! I cried when I wrote this.

Please don't hate me!

Read/review!

* * *

Erza lay on the ground, shaking. The battle had left her exhausted. The demon was dead, reduced to a heap of rubble, and the village had withstood minimal damage.

"Erza?" Lucy's weak voice called.

Erza looked up, suddenly remembering her friend's injuries. She stood up slowly, and made her way across the clearing.

Crouching down beside Lucy, Erza ripped off a strip of Lucy's shirt. "Hold still. This is going to hurt."

Two of Lucy's ribs were sticking up out of her abdomen. Erza hissed when she saw the bone. "That bastard. Where'd he run off to?"

Lucy tried to take a deep breath. "As soon as you killed Goliath, he dissapeared. Probably back to his guild hall."

Erza nodded, wrapping the makeshift bandage around the ribs. "I'll buy you a new shirt. I promise."

"Lucy! Erza!" A familiar voice called. Natsu came running out of the forest, Gray close behind. "We thought you'd need help, but it looks like the two of you managed just fine!"

Erza scowled. "Where have you two been?"

"I got held up." Gray explained.

Natsu grinned. "More like held down. He somehow got stuck in quicksand, and then I had to come rescue him. And then, there was the problem of getting pants for the stripper-Ow!"

Gray punched him in the shoulder, his face red.

Lucy coughed. "You-you lost your pants? For goodness sake, when are you ever gonna learn-(cough)- to keep your clothes on, G-gray?"

Natsu's grin dissapeared, noticing the blood for the first time. "Lucy! What happened to you?"

"It's nothing." She wheezed as her boyfriend crouched down next to her. "I was just being stupid."

His eyebrows came together in a worried expression. Natsu brushed the hair out of her face. "It's not nothing. You're hurt."

She smiled weakly. "I'll be fine."

Erza ripped another strip of fabric off of the bottom of Lucy's shirt.

Natsu scowled. "What are you doing that for?"

Erza rolled the fabric into a ball. "Here, Lucy. Bite down on this."

Lucy's face paled. The dragon-slayer's eyes widened, and he reached for her hand.

"Ready?" Erza said firmly. Lucy gripped Natsu's hand tight, nodding. "One, Two, Three!"

On three, Erza tightened the bandages, and Lucy screamed into the fabric in her mouth. Tears streamed down her face.

With a loud pop, her ribs slipped back into place.

Erza frowned. "That should be enough until we can get you proper medical attention."

Lucy shut her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"You okay?" Natsu said quietly.

Lucy shook her head. "It hurts."

"I know. I get beat up enough by Erza, don't I?" He said, forcing a laugh.

She chuckled softly, but it soon turned into coughing. She and Natsu had only started dating two month ago, and in all that time, Natsu had always tried his hardest to make her laugh, no matter what,

Suddenly, the body of the demon began to glow. The ground around it started to crackle with magic energy,

"What the hell is that?" Gray shouted.

Erza glanced at the demon, preoccupied with cleaning up lucy's wound.

"I don't know."

The glow started to increase, emanating from a very large lacrima buried in the demon's chest. It got to the point where the demon itself began to dissolve away.

Natsu and Erza exchanged a fearful glance. "It can't be..."

"There's too much magic energy contained in the Lacrima." Erza said, remembering the incident at the Tower of Heaven. "If there's nothing to absorb the magic power..."

"Everything within a fifteen-mile radius explodes." Natsu finished.

Lucy heard Gray curse in the background. Erza's hands shook.

"Not again." The re-quip mage whispered.

Lucy closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Natsu help me up."

"What? Lucy..."

"Just do it. Help me stand, or I'll do it without your help." She said, her voice trembling.

Natsu sighed, then slid his arm under her waist, wincing every time she hissed in pain. Slowly, he helped her get to her feet. She clung to him for a moment, panting, her fists gripping the fabric of his vest.

"Lucy...?"He said uncertainly, his voice worried. "You should lie down."

"No." She said fiercely. "No. You said something had to absorb all of that magic energy?"

Natsu gaped at her for a moment. "Lucy! Are you crazy? I can't let you do that."

Lucy shook her head, burying her face in his chest. "Someone has to do it."

Natsu held her close, not daring to let her go. "Just not you, Luce. Not you. Please."

With tears on her cheeks, she looked up into his green eyes. "I love you, Natsu."

Natsu shook his head, afraid that speaking would show how scared he was.

Lucy tilted her head up, pressing her lips against his.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, pulling away.

"No! Lucy, you can't! I'm not letting you go anywhere!" He shouted, gripping her wrist so tightly that her hand turned white.

"Natsu..." Her voice cracked. "You have to let me go."

"No..." He choked. By now, tears were streaming down his face, and the Lacrima kept getting more powerful.

Erza and Gray came up to stand beside Lucy.

"Quit the drama. No one is going to die. We'll find another way." Gray said, even though they all knew there was no other way.

"If you think you're gonna just waltz over there and kill yourself without killing us first, you're wrong." Erza added.

"Lucy..." Natsu croaked meeting her eyes. He loved her eyes. Deep pools of brown that always seemed to shine like water on a lake.

Suddenly, a loud _boom_ rang out from the Lacrima. The earth shook, knocking everyone off of their feet. Before her friends could react, Lucy was up on her feet and running towards the over-loading Lacrima.

"LUCY!" Natsu roared.

Lucy's heart tore into a million pieces when she heard the desperation in his voice, but she kept running, despite the broken ribs. When she reached the Lacrima, she placed her palms on it, immediately letting out a scream as unimaginable pain coursed through her muscles.

Her body began to glow with blue light. Her friends rushed forward to try and help her, but a wall of magic energy pushed them back. Lucy was alone, in pain, at the center of her own personal vortex.

"Lucy! Stop it!" Erza cried out.

The celestial mage heard, but kept going, unable to contain her own screams. _I'm sorry. This is the only way_.

As the power reached its max, the light was so bright that Natsu couldn't see her anymore. "LUCY!"

He kept screaming her name even when his voice was hoarse, crouched on the ground with his head in his hands. Gray stood by, shocked, unable to do anything.

Gradually, the magic energy subsided. When it was finally over, Lucy stood alone in a circle of charred earth.

Natsu looked up. "L-Luce?"

Without hesitating, he rushed forward, wrapping his strong arms around her.

"Natsu..." She whispered weakly. After second, she crumpled to the ground.

She closed her eyes. Her whole body felt like it had been set on fire.

The dragon-slayer was holding her tight against his chest, staring at her with tears flowing freely down his face. "Why? Why, Lucy? There had to be another way."

She shook her head slightly. "It needed to be done. I saved all of you, and that's what matters most." Lucy was trembling. Her breaths were shaky. "I...I'm glad I met you. All of you. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Natsu's shoulders shook as he sobbed, his tears falling on to her face. "Stop talking like this. You're not going to die. If we can get you back to Porlyusica..."

He was stopped by Erza's hand on his shoulder. When he looked back, he saw that her face was soaked in tears. Her eyes told him everything.

When Erza had almost been killed at the Tower of Heaven, she thought that she was doing it for her friends. But being on the other end...having to watch your comrade die...was ten times as painful.

"Natsu." Lucy whispered.

Natsu shook his head silently, unable to speak.

"I love you."

Instead of replying, Natsu leaned his forehead against hers, trying hard to savor their last moments together. When he finally met her gaze, he memorized the deep brown of her eyes, the way her eyelashes feathered out, the gentle curve of her lips.

"I'll see you again, Natsu. Someday."

Somehow, he found the words to speak. "Promise?"

She ran a hand through his rose-pink hair. "Always."

He nodded. "Don't leave me, Luce."

"I'm sorry. I wish we had more time." She whispered.

"I love you." His voice cracked. He clutched her body even tighter to him.

The light in her eyes began to dim, and as she breathed her last, she spoke once more: "I love you, Natsu."

As soon as her head fell against his chest, Natsu's world fell apart.

He was vaguely aware of someone sobbing behind him. Erza. Somehow, the earth was on fire around his fists.

What Natsu didn't register was the fact that a certain ice-wizard had dissapeared off into the forest to avoid hurting anyone. He never felt the rain pour down on them from the black skies above. His arms were cut and badly bleeding, but he couldn't feel the pain. All he saw was Lucy's dead body.

Lucy.

 _His_ Lucy.

Dead.

Gone.

For once in his life he couldn't bear to look at Lucy. To see her usually warm face, devoid of all life, was slowly shredding his heart.

The roar of a dragon shook the earth that day. Those people living in nearby cities looked up from their work in fear, sensing, deep down, that something terrible had happened.


	4. Prolouge 4: Goodbye, Lucy

**last prolouge. Read / review! :-)**

* * *

"Fairy tail will always remember the third day of April; the day we lost a piece of our Heartfilia will forever be honored in our guild." Master Makarov finished his short speech, standing at the gravestone of Lucy Heartfilia. "I wish you rest for all eternity."

At that, the short man stepped back, trying not to show his tears in front of his guild.

Fairy Tail, as well as a few members from other guilds, was gathered in the drizzling rain around Lucy's grave. Everyone's mood was low, the gloom of the relentless raindrops dampening spirits and making everything seem even more hopeless.

Cana stepped forward, her hair drenched and tangled. Her usual sarcastic personality was nowhere to be seen. Crouching down by the grave, Cana let a few tears of her own fall onto the freshly packed earth.

"Lucy...wherever you are now, I hope it's better than here. I hope...I hope you're with your parents." She covered her face with her hands. Her voice trembled. "Every girl needs a father."

For once, Cana was completly sober. After she finished, she put her head down on the ground and sobbed. For the silent group looking on, the sound of her grief put voice to the heartache they all shared.

Levy put her hand on Cana's shoulder, kneeling down beside her. For several minutes, the pair just sat in front of their friend's grave. Levy and Cana's tears mingled on the loose earth.

Finally, Levy spoke. "I know you never meant to leave us, Lu-chan. You were always so kind and sweet. You would never do anything to truly harm anyone in fairy tail." With a deep breath, she found strength to carry on. "But now that you're gone...I don't know what to do."

With one final pause, she whispered, "I never got to read your novel."

One by one, people came forward to say their tear-soaked goodbyes to the blonde celestial mage. Wendy, Elfman, Mira, Hibiki, Sherri and Lyon, Juvia, even Gajeel and Panther Lily. Every one in the gloomy group had something to say.

Finally, it came time for Team Natsu to say farewell.

"I'll never forget all the memories we shared. Every time we thought we were done for, we pulled through. It was always us against the world." Gray spoke quietly. "You were a member of our team. How do you expect us to just move on, just like that, Lucy?! How? Because every time someone tells me that it'll all be okay, I remember how it felt to watch another loved one die and do nothing. This isn't fair. It didn't have to be you."

Gray's hair and face were drenched with rain, which had frozen in little frost crystals all over. "We'll miss you. Always."

When Gray moved back to rejoin the group, Juvia held her umbrella over his head, silently comforting him.

A tall redhead stepped forward. "There's nothing that I can say that can bring you back. And nothing that I do will let me hear your voice again. All that there is left to do is make sure your sacrifice wasn't in vain." She broke off for a few moments to choke back a sob. "I know you want us to be happy. You didn't die just so we could sit around crying. But, Lucy, it hurts. It hurts more than anything I've ever known."

"You stepped into our lives for two short years, and in those two years you taught me how to be a better person. And now that you're gone...I don't know what to do."

As Erza stepped back, everyone looked expectantly for the pink haired fire-dragon slayer that was closer to Lucy than anyone else. Surprisingly, he was no where to be seen.

"Where is he?" Levy asked quietly. "Natsu should be here."

Erza and Gray exchanged a look. Both of them knew that Natsu would't be attending the funeral.

Finally, each member of fairy tail placed a single rose on the grave of their friend before slowly dispersing. The grey clouds rolling overhead continued to pour, the puddles kept growing bigger. Everyone knew that Fairy Tail would never be the same.

Every body had left. Lucy Heartfilia was left alone in the dismal April storm, sleeping beneath the earth. It was then that one more person stepped forward, concealed by a cloak. They knelt over the grave silently, staring at the ornate tombstone, which read:

Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail

Celestial Wizard

No matter where we go,

we will never forget her bravery.

The figure's shoulders shook silently. For a long time he just stared at the polished tomb stone, letting tears run down his face freely.

"Lucy." The heartbroken whisper was so quiet, he could barely hear it himself. Natsu couldn't face his guildmates yet. He couldn't let them see him this way, and he didn't want to see the sadness on their faces.

His fist closed around a handful of dirt. The ground around him was turning to mud from the rain.

"Come back." He said. "I want you back."

His sobs echoed off of the nearby cathedral; There was no one else in the gardens to overhear him.

The tombstone sat at the head of her grave, a silent sentinel over the legacy of Lucy Heartfilia. It made Natsu so angry, just seeing it, because the tombstone meant it was over. The end. Lucy was gone for good.

"Luce, Luce, I love you. I will always love you."

And Natsu immediately regretted that he hadn't confessed his feelings for her sooner. He wished that he could go back in time and spend every moment with her, tell her how much he loved her, make sure that no one could ever hurt his Lucy.

"You're gone," He sobbed, "You're gone and you're never coming back! And it was all their fault! They killed you! They killed you, and they ran away like the cowards that they are."

He remembered her body lying limp in his arms, the way her head had rolled back, her final breaths leaving her body. And the way he had begged-pleaded-for her to stay.

"I promise, Lucy. I promise I won't rest until I've killed every member of Black Sparrow. I will avenge you." He spat venomously. "I swear it."


	5. Clove

**Oops! This took a little longer than expected, I had writers block and needed inspiration. Finally, after trying to figure out what to do for two weeks, I was sent a vision from above! Actually, I was eating dinner. Hmmm, maybe I should eat bean chili more often...**

 **So, yeah. I'm excited because I FINALLY chose which plot to use. (I was debating like three completly different plots.) Hopefully I can update a LOT faster now that I got rid of the writer's block. I'm also getting a laptop, (Hallelujah!) cause I'm taking summer classes. So writing is gonna be a lot easier.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters...Am I the only one who gets tired of reading /writing the same disclaimer, when everyone knows that I don't own ANY anime shows?**

 **Okay! Here we go...**

Two years later...

Natsu Dragneel leaned against the buffet table, awkwardly trying not to look lonely.

But, as a matter of fact, the fire dragon-slayer was bored. Very bored. Happy had flown off into the crowd in search of a certain female exceed, and everyone else from Fairy Tail was busy socializing. Natsu, never a fan of formal gatherings, felt daunted by the crowded room and the expensive suits.

He groaned aloud, grabbing a creampuff from a nearby platter. He examined it with mild interest, staring at it for a moment, before swallowing it in one bite.

 _When is this thing over?_ He thought to himself, stifling a yawn. He, Wendy, Gray, and Erza had done the mayor of Ravensdale a favor by bringing a gang leader to justice, so in return they were given invitations to the annual "Rose Ball." Most of the guests were old, fat, and rich; nothing like the four fairy tail wizards from Magnolia.

 _Why couldn't he have just given us tickets to a resort? Or a restaurant?_ He complained silently. _I don't even_ like _dancing._

Natsu hadn't danced in years. The one time he had attended a ball, it had been on a job, four years ago, and it hadn't gone as planned. They hadn't even gotten paid.

Absentmindedly biting into an eclaír, Natsu chuckled as he recalled the dancing lesson he had been given years ago.

 _"We'll start with the basic steps." Lucy decided, smiling. "Okay, hold my hands."_

 _Natsu groaned as he placed his hands in hers. "Man, this sucks."_

 _Someone must've begun playing music, because the sound of violins drifted through the air as Natsu tried to imitate the steps. The song was slow and stately, and he couldn't stand the stiff movements._

 _One, two, three. One two three, One two three. He thought to himself. On accident, he stepped on Lucy's toe._

 _"Ow!" Lucy complained, hopping for a few moments. Giving Natsu a glare, she resumed the dance._

 _Natsu scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Sorry about that!"_

 _Romeo giggled from where he stood watching. "So it's a game where you step on each other's feet!"_

 _Kinana sighed. "I don't think that's the point..."_

Natsu shook his head, clearing away the memory before he could remember the rest. _Stop torturing yourself, Natsu. It's better if you just forget._

He sighed, wiping chocolate cream from his hands with a napkin. For a second, he looked down at the floor, lost in thought. _I wonder...did Velveno ever come back for Acheto_

 _?_

He felt his face turn somber, the usual smile dissapearing as he choked down the tight feeling in his throat. Swallowing hard, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"Not hungry?" A familiar voice said, coming from behind.

Natsu looked up, shaken from his thoughts. He automatically forced a smile, plastering on his trademark grin, which somehow made the feeling worse. "Nah, I'm always hungry. Try the fudge, it's great!"

Erza looked at him skeptically. Every now and then, when Natsu thought no one was looking, he would get a sad, faraway look in his eyes. Of course, it always dissappeared under a smile, but Erza knew her pink-haired friend well enough to see through the mask. His heart was broken, and it seemed that he had lost his fire for everything that he used to love.

She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. She plucked a vibrant purple plum from the table, and bit into it, savoring the sweet taste.

"What have you been up to?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Natsu grabbed some sort of pastry off the table, and swallowed it in one bite. "Nothing much. I've sampled pretty much everything here, but none of it is really that great. I would've though the food would be prime."

"You should dance." Erza smiled. "I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding a partner."

Natsu looked at the handful of younger ladies in the crowd. None of them held a candle to Lucy.

He shook his head, allowing his smile to fade a little bit. "No. I don't dance."

"So you're just gonna stand here and eat food? Come on, Natsu. Don't be antisocial."

He smirked. "I'm not anti-social. I just don't like dancing."

Erza shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm asking that blond over there for a dance."

Natsu watched Erza introduce herself to a finely-dressed young man, and the two took the dance floor.

"Jellal won't be happy about that." Natsu said quietly, chuckling to himself.

Natsu looked at the clock and groaned. They still had an hour to go.

"Jeez, why can't we just leave already?"

A tall, dark haired girl walked over to the buffet table. She was about Natsu's age, maybe a little bit older. Natsu didn't really take much notice; he was too pre-occupied with being bored.

The girl paused at the table, her hand hovering over the platters of food. She hadn't yet noticed the pink-haired mage standing nearby, but from they way she held herself, Natsu could tell that she wasn't all frills and lace.

Natsu rubbed his neck, trying to stay awake. The clock struck midnight.

As the loud gonging of the clock rang through the ballroom, the girl looked up, as if she was expecting something.

Discreetly, barely even noticeable, her raven black eyes scanned the crowd. Her slender hands played with the folds of her dress. She looked scared.

The orchestra struck up a waltz. Natsu took a deep breath of air. A familiar scent wafted through the ballroom.

He blinked. _It can't be...no._ He decided. _This smells different._

Lying beneath the cheerful, sophisticated scents of all the ballroom guests, the strange scent made natsu sneeze _. What is that?_

Natsu heard someone's stomach growling. Really loudly.

He glanced at the girl, still standing near the buffet, whose face had turned a shade of red. She looked at the array of food, reaching for a scone, but as her hand seemed to debate the matter, she drew it back, shaking her head softly.

 _What was that about?_ Natsu wondered silently. _She acts like its a crime to eat._

 _"_ You know, you can take the food. No one's gonna arrest you." Natsu told her out of the blue, letting an amused smile play on his lips.

She jumped, almost knocking over a bottle of Champagne. Her dark blue eyes were wide, like those of a trapped animal.

Natsu chuckled. Wow, she was on edge. "What, did you sneak in here? I highly doubt anyone is really going to care." He was joking, of course. But now that he was up close, he began to wonder if she actually did sneak in. She was dressed in an expensive gown, but she looked like skin and bones. When was the last time she ate?

"I-I didn't..." She stuttered, blinking quickly. For a few moments, she just stood there, but she suddenly seemed to snap back into reality. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm so sorry. I'm Clove Nakajima. It's...been a while, since I've been to a formal ball."

"Oh. Well, what's there to be nervous about? It's just a dance! Nice to meet you, Clove! I'm Natsu!"

Clove laughed, still a little bit shaky. Her stomach growled again, and she blushed. "Yeah, I guess so. Silly me."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Are you hungry?"

"Me? Oh, not at all. I've already eaten."

"Oh, really?" Natsu smirked.

She looked at the food longingly.

"You look like you haven't eaten in a week." He said, stuffing his face with a brownie.

The girl narrowed her eyes. That was a little too close to the truth.

Natsu smiled, trying to be friendly. He offered her a cucumber sandwich.

"Come on, eat it. You look starved."

Hesitantly, she took it from him, holding it gently as if it were a precious jewel. "It's..It's really okay?"

Nodding enthusiasticly, the mage gulped down a glass of water.

Clove took a nibble, and in the blink of an eye, the sandwich was gone. She quickly downed three more, plus a few quail eggs, five breadsticks, and some brownies.

Natsu was impressed. "Wow, you eat almost as much as me! I thought you said you had already eaten."

She wiped her hands on a linen napkin, looking contented and embarrassed.

"So what brings you to Ravensdale?" She asked, changing the topic.

Natsu sighed. "A job. Me and my friends were given tickets to the ball as a thank-you gift."

She smiled politely. "Who are your friends? Are they here?"

"Yeah. They're all off dancing. I'll have to introduce you to them later." He adjusted his scarf. "What about you? Why are you here?"

"Me? Oh...well...Uh..." She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who are you looking for?"

She drew a breath to reply, but suddenly she saw something that made her face turn ghostly pale.

"Clove?! Clove! What's wrong?" Natsu waved his hand on front of her face. He followed her gaze to see what was scaring her so much. All he saw was a crowded dance floor. "C'mon, it's not funny."

Clove grabbed a fistful of her dress. _They found me. Holy Crap, they found me!_

Without warning, Clove darted away.

"Hey! Wait, Clove! What's going on?" Natsu called, following her out the door. The balcony was empty. Small splashes came from a nearby fountain, and cicadas buzzed in the treetops. Other than that, everything was quiet.

"Clove? Where did you go?" He spun around, looking for the odd, dark-haired girl.

Someone grabbed his sleeve.

"Get down!" A voice hissed, coming from a bush.

"Wha-Huh? Bushes don't talk!"

Someone's hand clamped over his mouth, an he was pulled down behind the bush.

Natsu fell awkwardly, sprawled out in all directions. He was about to open his mouth to curse when he saw the fear in Clove's eyes.

She looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes were wide open, and she kept her finger to her lips in a universal gesture for silence. Not a second later, Natsu could hear footsteps.

"She went this way, sir! Shall we do a search of the area?" A gruff voice, coming from less than two feet away.

"Yes. Call in the Elites. I don't want that girl getting help from some second-rate guild." Another male voice said, this time more malicious.

Clove let out a small gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. The tears were spilling now. Natsu wanted to ask a billion questions, but he wasn't stupid enough to make any sound.

"not him...please, no, not him..." She whispered, almost inaudible. She huddled next to Natsu, hugging her knees to her chest to stop the shaking.

The dragon-slayer felt heat start to build in his chest just like it always did before a fight. He accidently set his left hand on fire, but thankfully, Clove didn't notice. Natsu never got hot, but he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Make sure that no one sees you. If someone finds out about project Eleven, we'll have the magic council on our tail."

Clove shuddered, trying to make herself smaller.

 _Project Eleven? the Elites? What is this guy talking about?_ Natsu wondered _. Is Clove running from a dark guild? Why?_

The Dragon-Slayer grinned. He loved a good fight.

"Hey! What do you jerks want with Clove?" Natsu stood up from his hiding place, despite Clove's desperate whispered pleas.

There were about seven of them, each disguised as a palace guard. They looked in Natsu's direction when he stood up, surprised.

"Well, Well. What do we have here?" One of the men stepped forward. He had an intimidating aura, despite his carefully combed white hair and the single scar running down his cheekbone. "Boys, I think we caught ourselves a rat."

Several men chuckled aloud. Clove remained perfectly still.

 _Natsu doesn't stand a chance!_ She thought, her knees trembling slightly _. He'll be taken along with me!_

"Alright, listen up, you jerk. I don't know who you think you are, and I really don't care. But I'll barbecue you if you try to hurt Clove." Natsu growled

 _Why is he helping me? We just met, and already he's risking his life for my sake?_ Clove looked up, considering using her own magic to help. _No, I can't. No one can know about that._

The white -haired man laughed. "You're pretty arrogant. What are you gonna do? Do you have a box of matches that you plan on using? I don't have time for your games, I have important matters to attend to. Max! Charlie! Daniel! Take care of this pyromaniac for me. And find that girl!"

With that, the man walked away, followed by all the men except for three.

Natsu grinned. Only three? This would be easy.

The first mage pointed at the ground by Natsu's feet, and a moment later, a boiling hot geiser erupted. Natsu leapt back just in time.

 _So he's some sort of water mage? I can handle that._ Natsu smirked.

"Give it up. It's pointless." Another mage spoke. "You won't stand a chance. Walk away now, and we'll let you go free."

"No way." A new voice came from the doors. "We're Fairy Tail wizards. We don't let jerks like you push other people around."

Natsu turned around, spotting the dark-haired ice-make wizard leaning against the doorframe.. "Leave em to me, Gray. I don't need your help."

Clove almost gasped aloud. _These are...Fairy Tail Wizards? If they're from Fairy Tail...Oh my gosh...How could I be so blind?_

"No!" She sprang from her hiding place, throwing herself between Natsu and the three mages. Seeing the shocked looks on their faces, she firmly planted herself as a barrier between the opposing groups. "No, Natsu. Please. Just leave, now, before you and your friend get caught up in all this."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Clove, let me beat these guys up for you. It's no big deal."

A beautiful, redheaded woman entered the balcony, followed by two flying cats and a blue-haired teen. "What's the fuss about?"

 _If that's Natsu and Gray, then the redhead must be...Erza. The exceeds, Happy and Carla. I'm guessing the girl is Wendy, the sky-dragon slayer. She couldn't be Juvia or Levy, both of them are supposed to be older._ Clove realized, dismayed. _Oh, I'm so sorry...I promised you..._

Something exploded nearby, disrupting the girl's thoughts. Natsu was busy pummeling one of the henchmen, and Gray was in the process of knocking the second unconcious. The third had already been beaten up by Erza, who was examining the mark on his armor.

 _I've failed._ Clove swallowed hard. _I was supposed to keep them out of this. I'm so sorry_.

The three men were already unconscious.

"Clove? That's your name, I think?" Gray said, stepping forward. "Mind telling us what that was about?"

"Yeah, what did they want with you?" Natsu asked, extinguishing his flames.

All she could do was stare at the flames. Fire. He used fire magic.

"Clove?" He said, waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

She gulped, tearing her eyes away from the Fairy Tail mark to meet his inquiring ones.

"You're Natsu..." She choked, barely getting the words out. "You're Natsu _Dragneel_?"

His eyebrows furrowed together. "Yeah, why?"

Clove stumbled backwards. She felt like she was going to be sick.

 **Aaand that's it folks! Confused yet? Hahaha...things just got complicated.**

 **Who is Clove, you're wondering? And how does she know so much about the Fairy Tail wizards? More importantly, why are there people chasing her?**

 **I'll tell you this : since Natsu, Erza, and Gray beat up those guys, they're screwed.**

 **And no, Clove is not Lucy.**

 **I know I didn't really focus on the fighting, I wanted to look at what Clove was thinking at the time. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of action later.**

 **Thanks for reading! And to all you reviewers, thanks even more! You guys are so sweet.**

 **BTWS: What kind of magic should Clove use? That's one thing I haven't quite decided on. I was thinking some sort of dragon-slayer magic, like sea dragon slayer magic. Please let me know!**

 **Until next time! :-) :-) :-)**


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